top of page

Emily Sherwood

A self-described Military Brat, Emily was born in 1958 in Albuquerque and followed her father’s marine employment in Washington, D.C., Greenville, SC, and Oceanside, CA. The family ultimately settled in Schenectady, New York, where her father was employed at the General Electric Plant. Her father’s Marine Corps service and Emily's Episcopalian upbringing inculcated her and her older sisters with a strong sense of social responsibility and civic virtue. Emily’s political baptism came at age ten during the Vietnam War when her older sister took her to an anti-war demonstration. Her sexual awakening came after having a crush on a female math teacher and hearing Helen Reddy’s “I am Woman.” She would attend the women’s college Mount Holyoke College, where she met her first lesbian friend during Christian Fellowship. She joined the lesbian alliance and became part of “Women’s Music," which drew musicians from civil rights and feminist movements. After college, she and her future wife Ruth would move to Somerville, Jamaica Plains, Newton Highlands, and Marblehead before going to Lynn in 1999. They were delighted to discover five gay couples on their block, part of a larger burgeoning community. Emily dedicated her career to working for social change, from her early days as a community organizer to many years working on health and mental health policy for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Emily’s most recent role was deputy commissioner for child, youth and family services for the Department of Mental Health. Previous positions include the director of the Office of Behavioral Health at MassHealth and director of the Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI), where she led the implementation of a statewide system of home-based mental health services for children, youth, and families.

Watch Full Interview

Emily Sherwood

Duration

1:11:59

Watch Interview Moments

Click an image to watch a moment.

Schenectady is a lot like Lynn.

Emily Sherwood

I grew up in the Episcopal Church.

Emily Sherwood

My two sisters and I were very close.

Emily Sherwood

The theater group was fantastic.

Emily Sherwood

It was scary to feel I was different.

Emily Sherwood

My first gay bar was Gala in Northampton.

Emily Sherwood

I fit in at Mount Holyoke.

Emily Sherwood

My partner and I formed a production company.

Emily Sherwood

There was a political sea change in the 1980s.

Emily Sherwood

Lynn real estate was more affordable.

Emily Sherwood

Mass Equality was very effective fighting for marriage equality.

Emily Sherwood

Intense relief after the Marriage Equality decision.

Emily Sherwood

Questioning gender goes to the heart of patriarchy.

Emily Sherwood

My dad's military service informed my public service.

Emily Sherwood

My superpower in government is engaging people.

Emily Sherwood

My first political rally was against the Viet Nam war.

Emily Sherwood

My first crush was on my math teacher.

Emily Sherwood

Coming out was a gradual process.

Emily Sherwood

Mount Holyoke was in transition.

Emily Sherwood

We produced a "women's music" concet yearly.

Emily Sherwood

I came out when I fell in love.

Emily Sherwood

Working at the legislature was amazina and fun.

Emily Sherwood

Our neighborhood had a lot of gay people.

Emily Sherwood

Legislators got to know LGBTQ+ people.

Emily Sherwood

I never worked harder than the MA healthcare plan.

Emily Sherwood

We got our license at Lynn City Hall.

Emily Sherwood

Images

!
Widget Didn’t Load
Check your internet and refresh this page.
If that doesn’t work, contact us.
ULP Logo Round 2024.png

Feedback
© 2024 United Lynn Pride Inc.
United Lynn Pride Inc. is a 501(c)3 Tax Exempt Non-Profit Organization
EIN: 88-4123340

#UnitedLynnPride
Conéctate con nosotros en las redes sociales

Facebook_logo_(square).png
-11590303444ezlkboanlo_edited.jpg
bottom of page